hasselman



(No Model.) 2Sheets-Sheet 1.

0. H. EASSELMAN.

VOTING BOOTH.

No, 437,691. Patented Oct. 7, 1890.

(No Mom.) 2 shets-sheet 2.

0. H. HASSELMAN. VOTING BOOTH.

No. 43.75691. Patented Oct. 7, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

VOTING-BOOTH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,691, dated October '7, 1890.

Application filed April 22, 1890. Serial No. 348,992. (No model.)

T0 all whom, it may. concern.-

Be it known that l, OTTO H. HAssELMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Voting-Booths, of which the following is a specification.

The objectl of my said invention is to provide a structure which may be manufactured in quantities and sold ready made for the use of voters in elections under whatis known as the Australian system, and which may be conveniently packed for storage or for shipment from place to place. This object is accomplished by providing a number of separate sides or panels which, when set up in the proposed arrangement, form a series of booths, but which may be taken down in separate pieces and thus closely packed for purposes of transportation or storage.

Said invention consists in combining with such a series of panels suitable connectingrails and rail-locks for connecting the rails thereto, as will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof, and on which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts, Figure l is a perspective view of a series of booths set up and ready for use embodying my said invention; Fig. 2, a horizontal sectional plan view thereof; Fig. 3, a fullsized detail horizontal view similar to a fragment of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a perspective view of one part of the rail-lock attached to an edge of one of the panels, and Fig. 5 a perspective view of the other part of said rail-lock attached to the inside face of a connecting-rail.

A convenient arrangement for electionbooths of this character is to make three booths in one structure andIhave illustrated a structure embodying this number. I do not desire, however, to be understood as confining myself to a particular number of booths in one structure, as obviously within reasonable limits the number can be varied at pleasure. The connecting-rails are shown as broken at one end, indicating that they may be extended to form a part of a greater number of booths.

In said drawings, the portions marked A are the panels forming the sides of the booths;

B, panels forming the backs of said booths; C, rails connecting said sides and backs together; D, shelves which serve as desks for the use of voters; E, curtains by which the booths may be closed while in use, and F a door which maybe substituted for the curtains. r

The sides A and backs B, I prefer to make all alike, except that said backs are not usually provided with rail-locks, as I prefer to secure them in place by diiferent means, as will be presently described, although raillocks may be employed for the purpose, if desired. These sides and backs are arranged in use as shown in Figs. l and 2. It will be understood, however, that when the booths are placed inside against the wall of one, the backs may be dispensed with altogether, as such structure will in such cases take the place of such backs. I have shown said sides and backs as panels of an ordinary form, the edge pieces of which ext-end down and form legs, this being a simple and durable, but at the same time light and inexpensive construction.

The connecting-rails C are each of a length equal to that of the entire structure, and are adapted to be secured to the edges of the sides by appropriate rail-locks and hold said sides firmly in upright position. A Said rail-locks in mypreferred construction consist of two parts a and c. The form of the parts a is best shown in Fig. 4, and said parts are iirmly secured to the edges of the sides A, generally by screws d', as shown in Fig. 4. Said parts a have vertical tapering dovetailed slots in their outer portions which are adapted to receive the parts c. The parts c are in the form ot' tapering dovetailed slides, adapted to iit into the dovetailed slots in the parts a, and they are secured to the inner faces of the connecting-rails C, generally by screws c', as shown most plainly in Fig. 5. The connecting-rails should be cut away at these points, leaving recesses of substantially the depth of the thickness of these slides, in order that said sides may be set in flush with the surface of said rails, and thus said rails be brought closely up against the edges of the sides of the structure when said structure is erected. Such a recess is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5. The bodies of the parts a should also be set a structure, as a house, or

IOO

into vrecesses in the edges of the sides A, as indicated in Fig. 4.

The shelves D are arranged for the use of the voters in preparing their ballots, and are 5 mounted on cleatsd. As shown most plainly` in Fig. 1, the front ends of these. cleats have upwardly-turned projections, behind which the shelves catch when placed in position. By the use of such cleats the backs B are held Io in position without any separate fastenings, as they can be rst stood up in position against the rails O behind them after said rails have been secured to the edges of the sides A, and then by placing these shelves D in front upon i 5 the cleats d and behind the projections formed on the front ends of said cleats jsaid backs will be held securely to position, as .will be readily understood.

The curtains E are secured in any desired zo manner to the front one of the rails C. In Fig. l one of these curtains is shown open and one closed. I prefer curtains of this character, as cheaper and more easily handled than doors; but if doors are preferred they can be employed, and a door Fis shown to illustrate the method of such employment.

The structure is erected by taking a sufficient number of panels A, standing them up in an appropriate relation to eachother, and

3o securing them together by means of rails O and the rail-locks thereon. When backs are used, the panels B are then placed in position, as shown, after which the shelves D are put in place. The curtains or doors are then hung, and the structure is then ready for use.

Having thu-s fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination, in votingbooths, of

4o independently-formed sides for said booths,

connecting-rails adapted to be secured to the front and rear edges of said sides, and raillocks composed of two parts, one part of each rail-lock being secured to an edge of a side and the other part to the face of a rail, whereby said rails and sides are adapted, when assembled, to be connected into a rigid upright structure, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, in votingfvbooths, of sides, rails connecting said sides, backs placed between the rear edges of said sides against said rails, and shelves placed in front of said backs, and cleats or brackets supporting said shelves, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, in voting-booths, of sides rails connecting said sides, backs placed between the rear edges of said sides, shelves placed in front of said backs, and cleats or brackets supporting said shelves, and proj ections or upwardly-extending portions on the front ends of said cleats or brackets, whereby Said shelves are held back against said backs, which are thus securely held in their positions, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination, in voting-booths, with the sides thereof, of a connecting-rail connecting said sides, and rail-locks consisting of the interlocking parts er, and c, said part a having a tapered dovetailed socket and said part c being correspondingly tapered and dovetailed and adapted to iit into the socket in said part a, whereby said rail is secured to said sides, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, in voting-booths, with the sides thereof, of three connecting-rails, two connected to said sides at theirrear edges at appropriate points a considerable distance apart and the third connected to the front side at or near the top front corners, and raillocks whereby said rails are secured to said sides, substantially as shown and described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 16th day of April, A. D. 1890.

orro H. HAssELMAN. [n s] Witnesses:

CHESTER BRADFORD, J AMES A. WALSH. 

